US death rate accelerating

This chart above shows the increase in deaths over the last three months in the seven OECD countries with the highest death rates.

In May the UK, Sweden and US had increases of over 40%, Belgium, Italy and France around 20% and Spain around 10%.

In June four countries had the increase in deaths down to under 5%, UK was around 15% and Sweden and US around 20%.

July shows Belgium, Spain, Italy and France with increases of under 2%. UK is at 6%, Sweden 8% and the US is the only country where the rate is accelerating with a 25% increase in deaths last month.

All these countries were hard hit in the initial wave. But six of them have managed to more or less get things under control. The US clearly has not.

Twelve states are having over 20 people a day die. It is quite possible that a death toll of around 1,000 people a day will continue until there is a vaccine in the middle of 2021, which means the death toll may exceed that of World War II for the United States!